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Sunday, February 26, 2017

Slow, slow, slow your boat . . .

When I was teaching, my co-workers frequently referred to me as "The Energizer Bunny".

I taught a 0 Period class beginning before most of the staff had arrived, taught classes in addition to being the Activities Director (dances, assemblies, field trips, games, etc.) and coached volleyball after school.

I retired when I still had all that energy and for the first year of retirement, I tackled my days as if I was still on the job.

We can be overachievers and suddenly we realize we just don't want to go from dusk to dawn without exhaling. I love what you are doing...how you take life at a slower pace. I love the quote, "Don't just do something, sit there!".

The "turn" of your poetic post is quite powerful, for it speaks to ALL of us. I too am an energizer bunny sort of teacher. I am often there before others, I walk down the corridors with my heels and people know I'm coming due to the cadence of my heels clicking and clacking; but there were many things I used to do as a busy teacher that I no longer do. And God-willing, if I live long enough, I know that I will slow down. Things change. But many times, for the good. To simply enjoy the surroundings around you, sky, sea, lakes in my case, or a neighbor's company, anything around you, it all brings you back to your humanity.

Slowing down is actually running the wonderful race of life, stopping to enjoy the thrilling adventures that nature and the human experience has to offer.

Love this post and I can relate to the "energizer bunny" as my hubby calls me.I do know that changes will most likely be on the horizon and I hope to welcome them for a new and improved slowing down. Your days are perfectly wonderful and your photos reflect you have arrived!!!!Have a slow day! xo

Hi Carol, Taking long beach walks sounds like something that should be a priority to anyone that lives as close as you do. I'm finding that I need to slow down more each year, too, but then winter does that to me. Hopefully Spring will bring us more energy :)Beautiful post!Connie :)

I'm sure it was hard to slow down after retirement, but it sounds as though you have figured it out. Teachers stay so busy all the time and outside of work trying to keep up with the rest of life keeps us running. I'm glad you are slowing down and enjoying the things you love. Have a lovely week.

Carol I believe the natural progression of slowing ones pace in our lifetime is a way of giving extra time to reflect and access all of life's blessings we have been graced with. Sounds your walks along a glorious beach is your form of meditation which is a true gift. I love the way you play house!xoxo,Vera

You've taken your time settling into retirement, Carol, but you seem to have found your happy place where you enjoy each moment as it comes. You've got paradise all around you and now you've got the time to truly appreciate it! And you've got the perfect walking companion in Lulu. Have a great day!

Congratulations on your retirement. When you live such an active life as you seemed to have slowing down sometimes becomes a process. But you eventually get there...to the place where you just say...aahhh. I'm sure you still find a lot to keep you busy but you know how to take a breath. When I retired from teaching I didn't know how to do that for a while so I supervised student teachers at the local college. After two years I knew that was enough. Now I spend my days exactly as I'd like.

It sounds like a perfect life to me Carol. And similar to mine other than the beach walks and I was a stay-at-home mom. Life is good and we need to enjoy and appreciate every moment. Happy March to you.

You are aging with grace, as we all should. And retirement should, if possible, be what you want it to be. It sounds perfect to me, and it also sounds like me. Amazing how the energy isn't quite what it used to be -- well, maybe in the mornings but not much more. The color on your final photo is amazing. I could gaze at that all day.

Always follow the dog's advice seems like a good plan to me! My cats often stops me in whatever I'm doing just because they think it's purr-time... And I often find they were right and I needed a little break!